As a kid, like many of you, I spent countless hours at the arcade. Then years later, I stumbled upon MAME back when it was around version 0.30's. Since then I've wanted to build my own cab. Finally this year it seems like the stars just lined up perfectly for me: I had the space, the moolah, the new version of "Project Arcade" had just come out, AND on the weekend I decided to start buying parts, North Coast was offering free shipping.
Now the only thing I'm needing more of is time. With a full time job and family (including a 9mo old daughter), plus too many other hobbies to count (guitar, drums, golf, boardgaming, minitature gaming AND painting, etc.), it is just hard to find time to work on my cab. Having said that, I am at peace with the fact that this will likely take a few months to complete if I want to do it right.
So here are some of the "specs":
Name: "Time-Out" (as in the old Time-Out Tunnel arcade) I will be making my own marquee, but I'm still undecided on the design. Same for the CP and sideart. I guess I'll just leave that for last. I am going with the overdone dark blue and black color scheme, and likely lean more towards a "serious" retro space theme or something....
The hardwareI going to build 2 cabs, still in the planning stages:
Main control panel: 2 u360's with octagonal restrictor and harder springs (for player 1-2). I'm mainly playing fighters, but versatility is important to me.
2 Jsticks for players 3 and 4).
6 buttons for players 1 and 2, and 4 for players 3 and 4. I'm currently undecided on which I'm going with. Definitively LED's...
Using a PACLED64...
So far I picked up a GGG Electric Ice w an RGB LED, and a Paradise IL translucent with an RGB LED...
Ooooh....shiny....
Still undecided, but likely going with the IL's with the 50gm or 20gm microswitch. The GGG's are definitively better in terms of setting up the LED in the button, and has extra long wires. The RGB PCB fits perfectly, and the plunger's legs can hit the switch button without any interference from the PCB. That PCB once set up, looks like it'll stay there forever w/o any issues. The Paradise RGB LED is also very easy to set up, but doesn't fit as snugly as GGG's. And there seems to be the potential for the pcb wires to be squashed by the plunger legs. Still, w/o power, the translucent looks better. The IL feels smoother when pressing it compared to the GGG, IMO. Also the basic GGG switch seems to have some wiggle to it (part of the reason it doesn't feel as smooth.... nothing that can't be easily fixed though with a bit of glue or something), whereas the IL has a firm grip on that switch. Of note, I'm only comparing a single IL with the 75gm Cherry switch (VERY "clicky") and a single ICE with the standard switch which feels like it is A LOT less than 75 (nice!). Also I have NOT tried them on an actual game.
The second panel This will be a smaller panel that will have the frankenpanelling stuff:
-Tron Stick (Happ 8 way trigger joystick with GGG's blue handle, and the custom 4 way restrictor made by a BYOAC user...can't recall the name!)
-The GGG up/down spinner
-Ultimarc trackball with RGB LED and likely 3 buttons.
More tonight...